20 Truths About Sakura
by Lady Silvamord
Summary: Love, hair, and anger issues: 20 truths about Sakura Haruno.


1: The first time Sakura went to the cherry blossom festival, she ate a few cherry blossoms, and stuffed one up her nose. She was two at the time.

2: To this day, she insists that cherry blossoms _do_ taste spicy, despite Naruto's scoffs.

3: Once, she lost her temper with him, and hollered that _maybe, it would be a good idea to stuff some down _your_ throat and see how you like it, you annoying twerp! _

4: That was quite possibly the first time Kakashi realized that his pink-haired student just _might_ have closet anger issues.

5: Sasuke watched the entire incident dispassionately, before commenting on what a glorious waste of time this was.

6: If he had been any other person, Sakura would have yelled at him, too. But Sasuke was Sasuke, and she didn't want to yell at him. She wanted him to _like_ her.

7: No matter how much time passed, that was still one of her (now-secret) goals. It was one that lasted longer than most others, and Sakura didn't know how she felt about that.

8: She liked Inner Sakura. They talked often. _Self, please give me more strength. I _need_ you, because I'm not strong enough myself. _

9: Inner Sakura denied it every time. _You _are_ strong, Sakura. In a different, unique way. _

10: Sakura has a shred of the hair ribbon Ino gave her. It's in her travel pack, secure against the medical scrolls that she carries around and studies. Sometimes, she takes it out and fingers the scrap of green silk, and misses what used to be.

11: Sakura doesn't have nightmares often. The only one in memory was truly horrifying. Sasuke and Naruto, kissing. Sasuke and Naruto, getting married. Sasuke and Naruto, cradling a tiny baby with an uproarious Naruto voice and dark Sasuke hair. And Kakashi wondered why she woke up screaming.

12: Sakura hates it when people asked her if her hair color was natural. When she was eleven, she had introduced herself as, "Sakura Haruno, and yes, my hair is naturally pink." When she was young, she hadn't liked the unusual shade of her hair; now, she values it as being part of _her._

13: After she chopped off her hair with her own kunai, she had sat on the floor of the clearing, looking at the stray strands of pink hair, flying away in the wind. She wasn't vain, she _wasn't._ But she missed the weight of her hair on her shoulders and back, and feeling the wind tousle the shorn, uneven strands, tears welled up in her eyes.

14: That evening, Kakashi had nodded at her over a bowl of ramen. "You know, Sakura, I like your hair now. It's more practical, and it brings out your features."

Sakura had never liked him more.

15: Maybe it was just her imagination, but Sasuke seemed to treat her with more respect after she had cut off her hair. And she didn't wince when looking into mirrors anymore.

16: It was the only present he had ever given her. Maybe it wasn't exactly a _present,_ at least not in the conventional sense. But she treasured the dark blue ribbon, and used it to tie up the loose strands of hair she had left.

17: Even when three years had passed and the ribbon wasn't as intact as it had been when he had given it to her, Sakura still wore it in her hair every day.

18: When he had fallen into her arms, bruised and battered and bleeding from too many places to count, the first thing she had noticed about him was his eyes. They weren't as sharp as before, and it took them a while to focus on her. "Sakura." His voice was scratchy, and one of his hands brushed her cheek gently. "Still wearing that stupid ribbon?"

She cried then, cried, as she hadn't for three years.

19: At Kakashi's burial, Sakura's offering was a bouquet of cherry blossoms and roses, the latest volume of _Icha Icha Paradise, _and a watch. So he would never be late in the afterlife.

20: Sakura's first victory was passing the medical exams with flying colors.

Her first kiss was…unique. She leaned over him and kissed him on the lips, like she had been aching to for the past nine years. His eyes widened but he kissed back, to both of their surprise.

Her first child had green eyes and dark hair.

Her last words held no regrets.

--


End file.
